Video Game Interpretation. As a child of the 80's I've always fancied myself a bit of a gamer. As previously mentioned I still own my original NES and Super Nintendo and gleefully hook them up a few times a year to get my Super Mario fix. Heck, in high school I even spent a few afternoons testing games for Nintendo, something that always grants me cool points by my impressionable 6th graders. Well, Jason, this weekend I attended PAX, the Penny Arcade Expo, and had my mind blown by the level of passion and commitment some people in this country have in regard to gaming. And, let's be honest, the lack of hygiene and social skills was fairly impressive, too. PAX was started in 2004 by two Seattle geeks who write a web comic and thought it would be cool to celebrate all the weird and wonderful aspects of both video and board game culture; athletes are encouraged to stay home that weekend smashing beer cans on their heads, or whatever those muscled folk do. Over the years PAX's popularity has exploded - this past weekend 60,000 nerds and the people who love them filled Seattle's Convention Center to capacity, giving a shot to the Emerald City's economy and bringing downtown traffic to a screeching halt as drivers ogled scantily-clad ladies in anime outfits and gentlemen in homemade homages to Spandex-loving superheroes. My eyes will never be the same. Suffice it to say I was completely overwhelmed and totally out of my element. It was like I'd been dropped in a foreign country armed with only a granola bar and limited knowledge of retro games to help me survive. Luckily, my boyfriend (that's right, people!), whom I acquired in May, is a self-proclaimed geek who works as a software programmer, so I had my very own guide in this strange new world; all he asked for in compensation was a few tawdry sexual favors. A pretty good deal, I think. Since PAX is so popular I think it's safe to assume Seattle will host the shindig again next year. Fingers crossed, my rock star programmer boyfriend will still think I'm worth his time and will generously bequeath one of his company's 3-day passes to me so I can enjoy another trip to this alternate universe. If that's the case, Jason, you are welcome to be our 3rd wheel (trikes are way cooler than bikes, anyway). Since most of the PAX participants appear to be basement-dwellers who spend too much time playing World of Warcraft and watching their SIMs have sex, they've probably never enjoyed HIMYM or "I Love You, Man" so you'll be free to wander around the Exhibition Hall, glassy-eyed with wonder, without fear of being molested by a fat guy in a Spiderman suit. I'm pretty sure my boyfriend will happily school you on all things PAX-related without expectation of sexual favors. I bet dollars to donuts that Wil Wheaton, nerd king of the convention, wouldn't make the same offer.Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Reason 292
Video Game Interpretation. As a child of the 80's I've always fancied myself a bit of a gamer. As previously mentioned I still own my original NES and Super Nintendo and gleefully hook them up a few times a year to get my Super Mario fix. Heck, in high school I even spent a few afternoons testing games for Nintendo, something that always grants me cool points by my impressionable 6th graders. Well, Jason, this weekend I attended PAX, the Penny Arcade Expo, and had my mind blown by the level of passion and commitment some people in this country have in regard to gaming. And, let's be honest, the lack of hygiene and social skills was fairly impressive, too. PAX was started in 2004 by two Seattle geeks who write a web comic and thought it would be cool to celebrate all the weird and wonderful aspects of both video and board game culture; athletes are encouraged to stay home that weekend smashing beer cans on their heads, or whatever those muscled folk do. Over the years PAX's popularity has exploded - this past weekend 60,000 nerds and the people who love them filled Seattle's Convention Center to capacity, giving a shot to the Emerald City's economy and bringing downtown traffic to a screeching halt as drivers ogled scantily-clad ladies in anime outfits and gentlemen in homemade homages to Spandex-loving superheroes. My eyes will never be the same. Suffice it to say I was completely overwhelmed and totally out of my element. It was like I'd been dropped in a foreign country armed with only a granola bar and limited knowledge of retro games to help me survive. Luckily, my boyfriend (that's right, people!), whom I acquired in May, is a self-proclaimed geek who works as a software programmer, so I had my very own guide in this strange new world; all he asked for in compensation was a few tawdry sexual favors. A pretty good deal, I think. Since PAX is so popular I think it's safe to assume Seattle will host the shindig again next year. Fingers crossed, my rock star programmer boyfriend will still think I'm worth his time and will generously bequeath one of his company's 3-day passes to me so I can enjoy another trip to this alternate universe. If that's the case, Jason, you are welcome to be our 3rd wheel (trikes are way cooler than bikes, anyway). Since most of the PAX participants appear to be basement-dwellers who spend too much time playing World of Warcraft and watching their SIMs have sex, they've probably never enjoyed HIMYM or "I Love You, Man" so you'll be free to wander around the Exhibition Hall, glassy-eyed with wonder, without fear of being molested by a fat guy in a Spiderman suit. I'm pretty sure my boyfriend will happily school you on all things PAX-related without expectation of sexual favors. I bet dollars to donuts that Wil Wheaton, nerd king of the convention, wouldn't make the same offer.
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